Western PA Inventor User Group Presentation Files
Just a short note....more on the meeting later. Here is the link to the files used in my presentation today. Download Here
...posted by Robert at 9:36 PM

  LeaCar Mini-PE (Property Equations) 2.0 for Inventor 10/11 is released.
LeaCar is pleased to announce the release of Mini-PE (Property Equations) for Inventor 10 SP1+/11. Read the Instruction document for a complete run-down of new and existing features.

Enhancements include:

• User configurable to evaluate formulas on Document Update or Document Save.
  
• Access to built-in parameters that return Sheet Metal Flat Pattern Extents (X and Y) in millimeters, meters, inches, feet and centimeters.
  
• Access to built-in parameters that return Mass (Part or Assembly) in Kilograms, grams, pounds and slugs.
  
• Access to iPart table values. The add-in will return the value from the Active Table Row of any specified Table Column.
  
• Manual Update from Configuration dialog and Panel Bar button.
  
• Elimination of a problem that disabled processing (Release 11) if the (Hide extensions of known file types)” setting was enabled in Windows Explorer.
  

Download the Mini-PE 2.0 PDF Instructions

Download the Mini-PE Add-In Setup Version 2.0
...posted by Robert at 12:59 AM

  Thanks Garin!
Thanks to Garin Gardiner of Autodesk for featuring our Mini-PE Property Equation Evaluator Add-In for Inventor 10 and 11 in the Autodesk "In the Machine" Blog. He was kind enough to talk to me several times and agreed to try out Mini-PE. He even put together a sample file for prospective users of the Add-In. Watch this site for an enhanced version and a possible new Add-In for Inventor 11. Also see the download for the Preview version of PDS 1.5 for Inventor 11.

Read the Blog Entry (August 29, 2006)

Download the Mini-PE Add-In Setup Version 1.0

Download the Mini-PE PDF Instructions

Download the Sample file Garin created.

Download the Preview version of PDS 1.5 for Inventor 11
...posted by Robert at 10:40 PM

  Service Pack 1 for Inventor 11 is released.
Service Pack 1 (SP1) is available for download here.
...posted by Robert at 9:26 PM

  Read Amy Bunszel's wrap-up of the recent WPIUG meeting.
Amy Bunszel recaps some of the exciting new Drawing Manager Features shown at the recent WPIUG meeting.
...posted by Robert at 11:23 PM

  New *Free* Add-In available for Inventor 10 & 11
After a year or so of personal use and a release to the WPIUG members, I have decided to make a version of my Mini-Property Equation-Editor (Mini PE) available to visitors to this site. This Add-In allows you to create parametric Parameter/Property formulas in custom Properties that are evaluated and updated automatically on document update. If you are interested, you can download and read the instruction document. If you are interested in using the Add-In, Email Me and I'll send the download link.
...posted by Robert at 10:59 PM

  Western PA Inventor User Group Spring Meeting
Road Kill indeed...while reading of Amy Bunszel's carcass strewn adventures into north-western PA prior to her appearance as keynote speaker at the spring WPIUG meeting, I did not realize that I soon too would become road kill. My laptop failed to synch with the meeting room projector, forcing me to resort to verbal descriptions of the latest add-in and macro released to the WPIUG members. Despite this "Dilbert moment", the meeting proved to be another success! This meeting was again hosted by The Westinghouse Energy Center in Monroeville PA who have now graciously hosted the group 3 times. MESA, as usual, provided stellar presentations (Thanks Jeff, Luke, John and Jeremy) as did Amy Bunszel and Emmett Dionisi of R.E. Uptegraff. Please note the updated links on the right to some of the blogs and sites discussed during the meeting. Thanks Sam!
...posted by Robert at 10:13 PM

  Do you want to see PDS support for Inventor Release 11?
As a writer of Freeware Add-Ins for Inventor and AutoCAD, I often get frustrated with the lack of feedback that I get on these programs. A program can be downloaded hundreds if not thousands of times, yet I can count on two hands the number of times I have received any sort of feedback, good or bad, on some of these programs. So now is the time to speak up. Do you want to see PDS (Parameter Driven Suppression) updated for Inventor Release 11? Speak Now or I will probably not make a revised version available for download.
...posted by Robert at 10:43 PM

  Excellent Inventor 10 Tips
Garin Gardiner of the Autodesk Inventor team has been posting some excellent Inventor 10 tips on the Autodesk In the Machine Blog. Well worth checking out.
...posted by Robert at 11:14 PM

  Congratulations Steelers and Pittsburgh!
Congratulations to the Steelers for securing their 5th Super Bowl title with a 21-10 victory over the Seahawks!
...posted by Robert at 11:19 PM

  AU 2005 - The Wrap-Up
It is now late Thursday night (early Friday morning) and AU 2005 is now a somewhat blurred memory. For me this was a good AU, probably the 2nd best out of the 5 I have attended. I did not do as much "networking" as I have in the past due to the fact that I had my family with me (and they enjoyed the Disney environs very much during the day without me). I only missed two class sessions, one of which regrettably was Sean Dotson's. I really wanted to meet Sean and hear him speak but a chance to discuss an opportunity pulled me away at the last minute. I saw Sean once or twice during the course of AU but he always seemed to be surrounded by his admirers. Oh well....no big loss on his part at least :-).

The Keynote on Tuesday had a few noteworthy items that can be discussed publicly. One was the mantra if you will....3D, 3D, 3D, 3D. This included a brief look at AutoCAD's new 3D interface. I am left a little dry by this as I can't quite figure what good the thing is when we have such precise 3D design tools as Inventor around. The interface is reminiscent of the 3D environment that is (or was....it has been awhile since I have used it) in VIZ. Perhaps its main purpose is to help transition the stubborn many into the 3D world. The other noteworthy item shown publicly was Inventor 11's "Level of Detail" functionality. This is intended to make working with large assemblies much easier as you can select parts and sub-assemblies to load or unload into memory and save the configurations, similar to View Representations. The Manufacturing Session with "Buzz" Cross was cut short due to the length of the Keynote (and I missed the first few minutes). I do appreciate the always entertaining and informative answers that Mr. Cross gives during these sessions. You can tell that he is in charge and has a vision for his products despite whatever bureaucratic process he has to face with Autodesk management. I missed all the parties so I could spend some quality time with my family but by the bleary-eyed look of those I saw who did, they must have been "memorable".

The official figure for attendance that I heard this year was 5100, a new record. I thought Disney did a nice job and the facilities were capable of handling it. I had a few minor gripes....small hallways, insufficient restroom facilities (this is a mostly male conference) and lack of refreshments for most of the day. I had a room in the Dolphin because I registered pretty early (yes, they are separate hotels joined by a short exterior walkway) so I did not have to deal with the shuttle busses to the outlying hotels. Several attendees told me this was a problem and I can sympathize. I would not attend another conference where I had to ride a bus from the hotel to classes. However, there is just no other way of dealing with this many attendees. This was also done in previous years in Las Vegas. I did appreciate the more "normal" environs of Disney over the sleazy undercurrent in Las Vegas. I think I may be in the minority though as the conference will take place at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas next year due to attendee feedback. I really don't think I will ever attend another AU in Las Vegas.

In closing, Autodesk did something very right by making the class handouts available immediately to all the attendees. They also recorded 100 or so selected classes for viewing which will be available in the next week or so. Thanks for this useful resource!




A view of some of the 5000+ in attendance at the AU Keynote.
...posted by Robert at 12:47 AM

  AU 2005 - Monday
Gosh I'm tired....after getting in here way too late and getting up way too early to make sure I registered and got the park tickets for my family, I made it into the ADN conference a few minutes before it started. Unfortunately, I can't say anything about what I saw, but I will say that you could be blown away by the spring releases of the next Inventor and AutoCAD. Jim Quanci, the APAC ADN Manager proved to be a nice guy and very smart host for the day. Sometimes the body is unwilling though....at about 3:00pm I couldn't get enough caffeine in my body and went back to the room for a nap. After having dinner with my family, I spent about an hour at the Exhibit Hall kickoff where I ran into absolutely nobody I knew :-(. Must have been all upstairs watching the Steeler game. General Session tomorrow. Shaan Hurley says that it is a "must see...trust me on this one".


The view from my room in the Dolphin looking at the Swan. DWF connect-the-dots in the lake.
...posted by Robert at 10:54 PM

  AU 2005 - We Arrive
Sunday Night (almost Monday morning...) We finally arrive. After a missed connection in Cincinnati and several aborted standby attempts we finally arrived to end a very long day. No time to look around and no pictures tonight...too tired. I must say though that we are very impressed with what we have seen. More tomorrow...
...posted by Robert at 11:54 PM

  Autodesk University 2005
Those who know me (and most of you reading this probably don't :-)) know that I hate warm weather and that I found my one and only visit to Disney back in the summer of 2002, unsatisfactory to say the least. So as I sit here reveling in the cool temperature outside (about 14 DegF), I am wondering if Disney is up to the job giving the expected 5000 attendees the same level of organization that I experienced at the MGM Grand in 2000 and 2002. I am hoping that Disney pulls it off, not only because I am making the trip this year (with my family) but because I like the change in venue. Las Vegas has shed any pretense of being a "family friendly" city and by the 2002 AU I had found the streets and Casinos to have an uncomfortably high "sleaze factor". We will see if Disney has improved the restaurant, hotel and shuttle service and if they continue to gouge customers with high food and souvenir prices.

Anyway, I hope that if you found this site useful (or even if you did not :-)) and you are in attendance, please say hello if you see me. If Disney does not gouge me for internet access, I'll even try to post my observations and pictures.
...posted by Robert at 11:11 PM

  Inventor 10 Service Pack 2 Released
Inventor 10 Service Pack 2 has been made available on The Inventor Update Site
...posted by Robert at 9:46 PM

  Technology Day Files
You can download the files from my sessions today here
...posted by Robert at 10:54 PM

  MESA's 10th Technology Day
It's hard to believe that it was 9 years ago that I showed up at the Greentree Marriott Hotel to attend something called Technology Day that was being sponsored by a company I had never heard of before.....MESA. I met 2 extraordinary people that day, Sam and Lorraine Runyon. In many ways this meeting changed my life. It blessed me with 2 good friends and introduced me to a world outside of the 2D drafting rut. On this, the evening after the 10th incarnation of their Technical Extravaganza, I just wanted to say thanks and keep bringing out the best in us!
...posted by Robert at 10:00 PM

  Another successful WPIUG meeting!
The second meeting of 2005 of the Western PA Inventor User Group (WPIUG) was held this morning (September 7) at Concurrent Technology Corporation (CTC) in Johnstown, PA. Located 2 hours east of Pittsburgh, this was my first trip into the Johnstown area. Nestled in the Allegheny Mountains of Western PA, Johnstown has been the site of 3 great floods (1889, 1936 and 1977), and 2 Hollywood movies ("Slap Shot" with Paul Newman and "All The Right Moves" with Tom Cruise). I continue to be amazed by the breadth of technology in the Western PA area. 50 plus attendees made the morning drive and from the verbal feedback I received, found it well worth their time. The 3-hour meeting included an overview of CTC areas of expertise and their CAD facility, Productivity tips, and presentations on Vault, Design Space and Inventor Studio. Presenters included Jack Molchany, Mark Pollagi, and John Gress of CTC, Ed Wagner of Catalyst Connection, Luke Mihelcic, Aaron Wible and Sam Runyon of MESA, and Steve Horst, Ron Ritchie, Andy Dumont, and Jim Young of Autodesk. A huge thanks to CTC for hosting the event and providing refreshments and to Sam Runyon for his tireless work in keeping this group going. If you attended the meeting, please E-mail me with any feedback on the event and any ideas for future meeting presentations.
...posted by Robert at 8:29 PM

  MESA announces 10th Technology Day
MESA has announced their 10th annual Technology Day! It will take place at the Heinz History Center and Western PA Sports Museum Wednesday September 28, 2005. Continental Breakfast and Lunch are included and the cost....FREE! Read the flyer for the complete details. For more information or to register, Email MESA or call 888.301.6372.


...posted by Robert at 10:11 PM

  Autodesk University Registration Open
Registration has opened for Autodesk University 2005 in Orlando Florida. If all goes as planned, I will be in attendance this year! See the Official Web Site


...posted by Robert at 10:00 PM